Calypso Granger
by thistooshallpass
Summary: <html><head></head>There were two things Harry was now sure of, first being that Hermione would protect her sister from any harm and second...the time of peace was over.</html>
1. Chapter One: Number 116 Tottenhall Road

A/N: A new story that hopefully you all end up liking. As a one time disclaimer, nothing written here is mine and this story is only written for fun.

* * *

><p>The house seemed to be at full capacity as the Burrow celebrated the second year of peace.<p>

The twins had, as usual, sprayed the house with streamers and there was the occasional tricked pastry hidden amongst the safe ones. It was the one time of year when everyone managed to make time to get together in honor of their fallen comrades. They would each of them pay their respect in the morning and then celebrate their life throughout the night. Molly Weasley was in her glory, churning out food and drinks like the perfect hostess. The joy on the woman's face was always so evident on the day of peace as she counted her lucky stars that no one in her large family had been taken away from her.

Hermione walked around the outside of the home and stood in front of the make-shift memorial that they had made on the large tree outside. There were flowers all around the base and candles floated around it, illuminating the pictures and personal effects of the ones they'd lost. Her eyes scanned over each one. Colin Creevey's camera rested at amongst the flowers while a picture of his younger brother was posted on the tree above it. A picture of Padma and a picture of Justin Finch-Fletchley, both smiling at her. There had been so many killed by the end. She felt herself grow teary eyed as she saw the picture of her favorite teacher, Professor McGongall standing proudly in front of Hogwarts next to their old headmaster with a tight lipped Snape at his side. She sighed sadly as her eyes ran over so many more, and slowly turned back to the house and into the warm party.

Looking at the small memorial made her thankful that her family had made it out alive and she wondered if they had arrived yet for the celebration.

She made her way to the corner of the room, watching over the party with a bittersweet smile.

"Are you hiding?" Harry asked, practically having to yell over the noise being made by the crowd of people. Hermione turned at his voice and smiled widely, shaking her head and throwing her arms around his neck.

"Did you just get back?" She asked him, hugging him tightly. His frame had built in the two years since they were battling Voldemort and nowadays, she found herself having to lift herself onto her toes in order to give him her famous hugs. He held her firmly, nodding his head in reply. After Voldemort's fall he started his own small tradition of going to his parent's grave every Halloween and Day of Victory, something he insisted he do alone in the two years that had passed.

They stayed like that for a moment, content with one another until a pair of strong arms nearly knocked the both of them onto the floor.

"DID YOU JUST GET BACK?" Ron's voice boomed in both their ears as he hugged them both tightly. The two rolled their eyes and squeezed him back despite his movements to sway back and forth with them. The spicy smell of firewhiskey was on his breath and he was red faced, giving Hermione a sloppy kiss on the cheek and a rough clap to Harry's back.

"Yeah! Where's Luna?" Harry asked, trying to distract him. Instead, he earned himself another hard smack to his back as Ron let go. He gave them both a toothy grin, the haziness in his eyes showing that he had gone from buzzed to silly drunk already. He wrapped his arms around Hermione – much to her displeasure – and in doing so pulled her up until her feet weren't touching the ground.

"HERMIONE! I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I STILL LOVE YOU AS A FRIEND!" He yelled happily, ignoring her protests to let her down. He was beginning to attract the attention of some of his old classmates causing them to laugh heartily at the two of them.

"Harry! Get him off of me!" Hermione yelled, swatting Ron's shoulder roughly. "Ronald Weasley, let me down, you rotten oaf!"

Harry stood alongside the twins, all sharing in the laughter as Ron looked at her in what appeared to be as seriously as he could.

"Really, Hermione, I do love you! I just love Luna in that way, you know? I don't want you to be angry with me!" His words slurred and Hermione found herself kicking to no avail as he overpowered her easily. She huffed, craning her neck to see that even Luna was watching them with a smile on her face.

"Tell the lad you love him!" She glared at Fred and George as they egged Ron on.

"Ronald, I'm the one who set you up with Luna. Now, I love you too but if you don't let me down I'm going to hex your reproductive organ off!" She warned, trying to sound stern as he smiled goofily at her. He frowned at the thought and finally looked down to see that Luna had put a hand on his arm.

"I think she's trying to tell you to let go, love." Luna told him gently. Hermione looked at her as if she were an angel and Ron obliged by dropping her.

"It's not what it looks like, Luna!" He cried, causing everyone in the room to laugh at him all over again. Hermione rolled her eyes as she regained her footing, a large smile on her face as even she had a hard time being angry with the man when he was like this.

"I know, Ronald." She told him airily, giving him a pat on the chest. Hermione watched as Ron happily turned and lifted Luna off the ground taking the groups attention along with him as he tried to dance with her.

"Some help you are!" Hermione told Harry, glaring at him as she tried to straighten out her now wrinkled dress. He grinned at her, shaking his head.

"I don't recall you helping me out when he did that to me last year. In fact, I remember you standing there and taking a picture of it." He told her, rolling his eyes as a grin swept over her face. She remembered the incident clearly as she had the offending picture on her desk at work.

"Completely different though, you both were drunk." She argued, the two making their way to the kitchen. The best friends began to talk and eat the always miraculous makings of Molly Weasley, enjoying the Victory Day party as well as watching Victoire play more with the wrapping paper than her actual presents.

"I can't believe she's a year old already!" Hermione told Fleur, giving her a peck on the cheek before leaning down and kissing Victoire's head.

"I cannot believe it either! Where are your little sister and your family? I was hoping Victoire could have a playmate since Teddy is sick." Fleur told her, her English sounding a hundred percent better than it did when she was in the Triwizard tournament even through the still heavy French accent.

Hermione's brow furrowed as she had begun to wonder where they were not too long ago either. After the war had ended, Harry and Ron had accompanied her to Australia in the hopes of finding her parents and restoring their memories. While they hadn't been hard to track down, the side effects to forgetting they had a daughter had been a great surprise to Hermione. A few months after relocating to Melbourne, her mother and father decided that the only thing missing from their lives was a child of their own. By the time Hermione caught up with them, she found that she had a two month old sister named Calypso Olivia Granger. The two year old was greatly spoiled by her big sister and a frequent visitor to the burrow.

"Actually, I'm not so sure where they are. I left a portkey with them yesterday; I thought they would be here by now." Hermione told her, suddenly becoming a bit worried. Her parents were nothing if not punctual and she wanted to curse herself for not checking in earlier. Their tardiness mixed in with Hermione's slight paranoia slowly but steadily filled her brain and she began looking cautiously around her to see if her parents had arrived without her noticing.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" Fleur asked, concerned. At hearing the question, Harry turned from his current conversation with Molly and Bill to look at his best friend. She stood, looking into space and Harry could practically see the wheels turning in her head as worry lines began to etch onto her face. Hermione blinked at the blonde woman in front of her, nodding her head with a blank stare.

_Something's not right. Something's not right._ She told herself, a sudden cold stab in her gut. Just as she was about to excuse herself in order to apparate home, she felt Harry's hand on her elbow.

"Hey, what's wrong-"

He stopped short as he felt the warmth of his Auror's pendant and cursed in annoyance, grasping the chain around his neck and pulling it out from under his robes. It used the same protean charm as their old D.A. galleons to discreetly alert off-duty Aurors that their back up assistance was required. As he turned the back of the flat surfaced pendant, his jaw went slack and he looked up to see Ron running towards the medicine cabinet for a sobering potion. Hermione watched them both, grabbing Hurry's wrist worriedly.

"What is it? Why are you _**both**_ being summoned?" She asked, the mantra in her head making her more and more nervous. She turned to see Ron was already walking up to the both of them looking a bit green from the sobering potion but sober nonetheless. The goofy grin and hazy eyes were long gone as he reached them. A hushed crowd began to form as they realized that something was amiss.

"Look, Hermione, stay here and we'll come and get you as soon as-" Harry started, unable to stop Hermione as she reached up and snatch the pendant chain from Ron's neck, pulling him down roughly as the pendant slipped into her hand.

_**Number 116 Tottenhall Road, London – Immediate apparition required.**_

She could barely hear Harry demanding Fleur to keep her at the Burrow and Ron pulled the pendant out from Hermione's hands. The two left instantly after and she could feel Fleur and lead her to sit down.

They were being summoned to her parent's home.

The logical part of her brain told her that it was officially Auror's business and that she should wait for Harry and Ron to get her and tell her the relieving news that everything was alright. The other part of her brain, the reckless Gryffindor part, told her that she should've already left.

So although it caused everyone to worry greatly, it came to no ones surprise that Hermione moved away from her watchers and disappeared with a 'pop'.

* * *

><p>She could feel the familiar muggle repellant wards and the notice-me-not charm hit her as she arrived at the back corner of her parent's home and stood very still as a host of Aurors appeared in front of her with their wands pointing at her warningly.<p>

"This is a DMLE crime scene and you are not authorized to be here, drop your wand and any other weaponry or we'll disarm you by force and you will be sent to the ministry immediately!" The Auror looked to be her age but she couldn't place him. She starred defiantly at all of them, ready to open her mouth to defend herself when she found they all moved in closer at her movement. Deciding to try to explain herself instead of start a wand fight, Hermione put her wand on the grass in front of her, tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

"This is my parent's house. My name is Hermione Granger." Her voice wavered as she could see shadows moving around in what would be her sister's nursery and more in her parent's bedroom. A man pushed through the group of Aurors and Hermione recognized him instantly.

"Seamus! Seamus, what's happened to them?" Her voice cracked and the tears of worry felt warm against her face as she asked her friend and classmate.

"What was I trying to turn my water to in our first year of school?" He asked carefully, making her realize that he was trying to see if it was truly her. She closed her eyes, trying to pass the fear running through her in order to answer him.

"Rum, you were trying to turn water into rum." She told him, her eyes shooting open as she answered. Seamus nodded, motioning for the rest of the Aurors to put their wands down. He walked up to her, picking her wand up and handing it to her. It was then that she realized that although the group of wizards was no longer poised to attack her, they remained in a formation to block her from going into the house.

"Hermione, its best you don't go inside…" Seamus whispered, trying to sound as discreet as possible.

_Please, God, no. Please. _She felt herself begin to sway as she looked at her house and back to her old classmate.

"Seamus, please, just tell me if they're okay." She begged, reaching out to steady herself.

"I don't think-" He stopped as he heard an Auror call out to them. She shot her head up and while the Aurors were distracted she took her chance to push through them and ran to the back entrance of the house. Just as she was about to make her way inside two men held her back, struggling to keep her still as she kicked and fought against them. Through the glass door she could see that the furniture was upturned and her mother's china cabinet had been pushed over, leaving a spray of glass throughout the room. Fighting against them, she tried to grab her wand, intending to blast her way through if she needed to when the Auror holding onto her spoke.

"Hermione." She looked up to see that Harry and Ron were the ones trying to keep her from entering the home, pulling her away from the door.

"Let me go! I need to see them!" She screamed, beginning to fight them again, her mind racing so fast that she didn't realize that Ron had taken her wand.

"Calypso is missing, but your parents…I'm sorry, Hermione." Harry told her, pulling her as close to his chest as humanly possible. He felt her stiffen in his arms, her knees buckling under her as sobs wracked her small body. Ron stroked the back of her hair, his own tears slipping from his eyes as he watched his best friend and former lover cry out horribly. He moved his arm around her, his forehead pressed against her temple as Harry whispered quiet soothing sounds. The boy-who-lived held the now orphaned girl and suddenly felt the bittersweet gratitude of not having to feel the fresh pain of losing your parents while being old enough to understand what was going on.

The three stood like that for what seemed like ages until Ron looked up at the sound of Aurors rushing into the garage. He let go of Hermione and craned his neck out to see what was going on.

"I'll be right back." He told them, his wand ready as he jogged around the corner and into the garage.

Harry winced as Hermione's nails dug into his arm and he kneeled on the ground carefully so that she wouldn't slip through his hold on her. He could feel the wetness from her tears pooling in the shoulder of his shirt and tried helplessly to calm her down.

"I'll find who did this, I promise." He whispered, pulling her curly brown hair away from her forehead where it stuck to the sheen of sweat. Her sobs, while still quiet, filled his ears as if they were canons going off around him. For what seemed the millionth time in his short life, Harry found himself thinking about how harsh and unfair life could be. He'd lived his entire life wishing he'd known his parents or at least had a true memory to recall of them, now he found that he couldn't imagine having that piece of normalcy taken away from you so instantly and repulsively. It wasn't even his parents on the floor in that house and yet he felt as if he were hit by a bus.

The time of peace was at an end and this was the starting act.

"Bring them back." Hermione whispered softly.

He knew it wasn't so much for him as it was an empty prayer to anyone with the power to do so; he could fill days with the moments where he had once said, wished and prayed those exact words. The feeling of emptiness that accompanied those three words made Harry hold her tighter, feeling his tears pool at his chin before falling in her hair.

"Harry!" He looked up from where they were sitting and almost fell back in shock as he saw Ron walking towards them with a silently crying, wide-eyed toddler.

"Hermione, its Calypso!" He told her hurriedly, trying to pull the girl up to see her. Hermione blinked at him blankly, turning her head slowly to see the squirming toddler looking around in shock. She let out a strangled cry before pulling her arms out shakily as Ron gently placed the little girl in her arms. The small child put her short arms around her sister's neck, and Hermione cried as the two rocked back and forth, squeezing Ron's hand in thanks. She could barely feel one of the Aurors wrap a blanket around the both of them as she held the last piece of family she had left.

* * *

><p>There was an eerie calm as Hermione sat waiting at St. Mungo's. Harry had just finished speaking to the head healer after his completed assessment of Calypso and was slowly making his way over to her. She was starring blankly at the wall in front of her, her party dress grass stained and her face puffy and red. Ginny and Luna flanked both sides of her while Ron watched her carefully, looking nervous and unsure of himself. Harry thought that she looked like a twelve year old all over again, petrified in a hospital. She turned her blank gaze towards him as he squatted down in front of her.<p>

"Is she alright?" Her voice sounded hoarse and raw from the crying and yelling she had done earlier and she coughed slightly.

"The healers said the reason she didn't make any noise wasn't from a direct spell. They have reason to believe that your mother or father-" He winced as she blanched at the mention but pressed on. In the corner of his eye, he could see an Auror make his way to guard the room where the little girl was currently sleeping.

"Reason to believe that in their rush to hide her from their attackers, that your mum or dad might've used a bit of accidental magic on her, causing her to be unable to make any noise. Either that or Callie could be magical and in her frightened state could have sparked her own accidental magic. Other than a bit of a bruise on her back, most likely from being pushed away from being seen, she's fine. The healers fixed whatever silencing charm was on her and she's sleeping. They sent out for a social worker that you have to talk to and in a few hours you can take her home." He told her quietly, watching as she shook her head.

_Where's home supposed to be for us now? _

She wanted to say scream it at someone. The feeling of Luna rubbing her back while Ginny squeezed her hand gently was starting to annoy her. In her heart she knew that they were doing the best they could in this situation but her head told her that she only wanted Harry and Ron there. The two boys appreciated the treatment their girlfriends were giving to their best friend but Harry and Ron could tell that the usually calm Hermione was beginning to get overwhelmed by them. After all, they knew that Hermione was a private person and didn't imagine that she enjoyed talking about the situation in front of other people right now.

"Ron." Harry whispered, pulling him to the side. The two walked until they were out of earshot but made sure they could still see the three women sitting.

"I think it might be best if we got Luna and Ginny out of here. I know they're just being kind but I think if Hermione sees another expression of pity tonight that she might hex someone. I'm surprised she hasn't done anything yet." Harry whispered worriedly, sneaking a look over at them. Ron nodded in agreement, rubbing his face tiredly.

"I'll send Ginny back to the Burrow and tell her to clear out a room for Hermione. Luna and I will go back to the house and she can pack the essentials for Callie." Ron said quietly, running his hands through his red hair. He felt guilty for it but right now all he wanted to do was hug his parents and thank whoever was responsible for keeping all of his family alive when the odds were terribly against them. He didn't want to admit that he was happy it wasn't him sitting in that chair.

"Are you alright to apparate? The sobering potion must be killing you." Harry commented as the two slowly made their walk back to the girls. Ron grunted tiredly as he tried not to let on that the splitting headache was practically running a knife through his brain and that once he had the chance he'd be throwing up everything he ever ate in his life.

Ron quickly sent off Ginny and Luna, leaving Harry to lead Hermione over to the room with the toddler was sleeping. She fixed the blanket on her, tucking her in gently. Her hand reached out and smoothed the soft hazel colored curls atop her head and was careful not to disturb her.

She stood quietly and started going over the facts in her head. After they escorted Hermione and her sister to the hospital, Ron and Harry were informed that it had appeared that a group of witches or wizards had broken into the home and killed her father instantly and then her mother once they found her trying to run away. A Ministry trace on heavy magic being done in a unregistered muggle neighborhood had set off the Aurors but they were too late; the first Auror on the scene had been petrified with a bad memory spell placed on him before his attacker fled. They were almost positive it had been Voldemort sympathizers that caused the tragedy but were going to pursue any leads possible.

A stirring had risen in the DMLE as this had been the first group attack on anyone since the fall of Voldemort two years to the day. The same whispering paranoid questions were sent amongst them as they wondered if a new dark lord was at work or if Voldemort was not as dead as they thought. Harry felt as if a bomb was ticking away on what he had built up to be a stable life as he thought of Voldemort returning somehow. He was not blind to the fact that there were co-workers already looking at him for answers, some already with distrusting glares that told him they thought he had lied about killing Voldemort.

In the back of his mind he was already going over the last battle, making sure of it for himself.

"She must've been so scared." Hermione whispered; it being the first thing she said since they'd gotten into the room. She continued stroking the little girl's hair, starring at her for a second before tears began to slide down her face again. Harry pulled her once more towards him, letting her cry again into his shoulder as he hugged her tightly. The two stayed like that until a soft knock on the door caused both of them to look up. A woman in a black robe quietly entered the room, her department logo on the left breast pocket. She looked to be in her mid forties, her skin wrinkled around her eyes and mouth, her hair had signs of gray even as it was tied in the tight bun behind her. Harry thought fleetingly that the woman looked much like the late Professor McGonagall had on their first day of school.

"Ms. Granger, I'm Annabelle Jenkins. I'm the assigned social worker for your sister's case. Would you like to step outside with me so that we don't disturb her?" The woman's voice was surprisingly soft even as she looked intimidating standing at the door. Hermione nodded, slipping the blanket onto the bedside chair and surprised Harry by slipping her hand in his. Without another thought, he squeezed back and followed her outside, the Auror closing the door behind them gently.

The woman magicked the chairs they were once sitting on so that Harry and Hermione could face her. She tapped the attaché case that she held and around them papers flew out alongside a quill. It reminded Harry of Rita Skeeter's interview with him during the Triwizard tournament.

"Do I have your permission to use a recorder quill for our conversation?" She asked, earning a solemn nod from Hermione.

"Do you understand that everything you say will be recorded and could possibly be used in magical court?" Again Hermione nodded, looking over at the room worriedly. Harry squeezed her hand again, trying to assure her that her sister was safe.

"I'd like to start off by saying that I'm deeply sorry for your lost and to extend my deepest condolences. I understand that this is a terrible time for this sort of thing so I'll try to go about my business as quickly and thoroughly as possible so that you can get back to your family. Do you understand that although you come from a muggle family, your status in the wizarding world and the circumstances surrounding your parents passing means that the Magical Child Protective Services will be taking over your sisters case?" She asked carefully.

"Yes. What about her muggle records? Once my parent's death-" She took a deep breath, squeezing Harry's hand tightly as she paused.

"Once their death certificates are filed, won't the muggle social workers have their own process that might interfere with this one?" Hermione asked. Harry blinked blankly at his best friend, trying not to appear as amazed as he felt; he couldn't believe that she was holding herself together so well. He remembered not being able to think in full sentences when Sirius died.

"I'll take care of any and all paper work regarding you sister, including filing it with the necessary branches of muggle government. In cases such as these, the Code of Secrecy comes into effect as there are too many magical elements for the outside world to become aware of. It's just as the Auror's will need to file necessary documents in lieu of muggle police. Now, are there any other family members that could possibly take care of your sister? Or did your parents live a standing will as to who would take charge of her?" The woman asked gently. Hermione shook her head at the question, rubbing her face tiredly as she did so.

"No, my father grew up in an orphanage and my mother was an only child. My grandparents passed away about five years ago. I don't know about any sort of Will, they never spoke about it. I'm sure they had one, my parents were very cautious people." She felt dizzy, the truth sinking it that she was not only an orphaned but now had no other blood relatives to call to. The fact that they weren't a large family had never truly bothered Hermione before as her parents had showered her in attention and love her entire life. While there were days when she was lonely, it never really hit her that once her parent's died she would be alone. Her mind strayed to the toddler in the other room and she corrected herself, _almost alone_.

"Our deepest wishes are that children stay with their biological family in this case, being you; however, you're much younger than most people we deal with. I have to warn you that since the war ended there's been a surge of orphaned children waiting for homes, most are in orphanages or care homes. So you find yourself unable to care for the child or if there is no other immediate claim, we could try to find a foster family but it would take-"

"What? No, absolutely not! Of course I'll take care of Calypso, I'm not just going to throw her to the wolves!" She yelled, her voice breaking and sounding infuriated by the idea that someone would take her younger sister away from her, especially after they had lost so much already. The woman looked taken aback at first, her palms out in front of her. Harry grabbed Hermione by the shoulders practically forcing her into his side. She began to sob into his neck, the entire process being too much for her to handle.

"I'm very sorry for upsetting you Ms. Granger. I had no intention on implying such a thing, it's merely our procedure in order secure guardianship over orphaned children." The woman told her a bit stiffly as she did not enjoy being yelled at for doing her job. Harry gave her an annoyed glare and rubbed Hermione's back gently, trying to soothe her as best he could.

"Calypso isn't going anywhere. We'll fill out whatever forms we need to but Calypso stays with Hermione. End of story." There was an authority in the young man's voice that made her nod carefully before flicking her wrist and closing up her case. If the boy-who-lived wanted it so, Annabelle Jenkins knew that there was no one, with the exception of perhaps the Prime Minister, that would say no. Not when the wizarding world owed their lives to the actions of the two young adults sitting across from her.

"I'll be in touch." She told him quickly, standing and leaving without so much as a goodbye. As soon as she left it seemed she was forgotten and Harry lifted the crying and tired Hermione back into the private room where her sister was sleeping.

"Harry, she stays with me. You make sure she stays with me." Hermione told him. He just held her tighter, knowing that it wasn't a request but an order coming from the small witch. It was the first thing Hermione had ever really asked him for that didn't involve himself and it pained him to realize it.

"I promise."

They stayed this way until the sunrise, three orphans all without a clue as to what would come next.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Thank you for reading, please send me your thoughts! - Lyssa_


	2. Chapter Two: The Serpent

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

><p>She loved her friends. They were wonderful, caring, loving people who would just about do anything for her.<p>

Yet she still felt like searching for a reason that meant not strangling almost all of them.

It hadn't taken long for the "Hermione are you sure you're okay" or the "No, no, let me do that for you" lines to come about. If it wasn't the smothering care over what they felt was her certain fragility, it was the stares of uncertainty and pity that made her want to scream every time she caught them looking at her. They all kept staring as if one flick of her wand and she would crumble into pieces. She knew they were all just waiting for her to fall apart, at least just a little bit.

She hadn't cried since she brought Calypso to the Burrow. It wasn't for lack of depression, that part was sure. Molly was sure that she had lost weight in the week since the death of her parents and if the dark circles were any indication, she wasn't sleeping well either. It didn't take long for anyone to notice that Hermione could barely look at her sister, let alone handle the confused fussiness of a child who wanted the comfort of parents that were suddenly gone. It worried the occupants of the Burrow greatly that at best Hermione could conjure a smile for the small inquisitive toddler.

The usually bright and optimistic bookworm just couldn't look at the little girl's brown eyes without thinking that everything was her fault.

_If I had just been normal, if I'd just let them stay safe in Melbourne, if I'd just checked on them instead of staying at the party, if I'd never been born, they would be alive._

The same thoughts soared through her mind every time her sister laughed, played or cried. It was like the overgrown black shadow was swallowing her into a place where the root to all of her problems stemmed from the fact that she was a witch and everything was her fault. Yet, baffling even herself, she hadn't shed a tear.

She stood in front of the mirror, taking in her reflection. It would be a muggle funeral and she had asked everyone to don muggle clothes rather than robes, especially as her friends of the family and her parents old colleagues would be there to pay their respects. Sadly, for them all, planning and attending funerals was something they had learned to do exceptionally well after the war. The number of muggleborn funerals had been great after the final battle so in a morbid way, Hermione was glad that she wouldn't have to worry about anyone sticking out during the ordeal. They had apparated to Grimmauld place would be driven by town cars until the dreaded part of the day when everyone went to the flat above her parent's dental practice for tea and that sort after the funeral. A small part of her was annoyed at the extra measures needed to disguise her magical background, but she shoved that down; today wasn't about her and she knew that.

It was at Grimmauld place where she was now staring at herself. Her hair pulled back and falling past her shoulders and her dress falling at her knees. The heels that she wore made her feet sore and she hadn't been wearing them that long. She looked down at her feet and shifted her heels side to side, hitting them together and closing her eyes. She wished the black mary-janes were sequined red and that the week had just been a bad dream in far away place. Hermione wished she could click her heels thrice and find that all was righted in the world. When she opened watery eyes to see everything was still the same, she found that Harry was standing quietly in the doorframe behind her with Calypso playing with his dress shoes.

She looked at him through the mirror, silently pleading with him to fix everything and earned a sad sigh in return. The stare he gave her was comforting, not of the pitying variety that she'd become accustomed to through the week. Harry knew exactly what she was feeling and how she blamed herself and had already told her such. He knew better than anyone that grief had to be dealt with in your own time, lest you not deal with it at all. Hermione told herself that it was because of the common pain of losing someone so terribly close that Harry was so understanding of her moods while the others worried so much more.

"The cars are here, everyone is downstairs loading up." He told her patiently. She nodded and smiled softly at Calypso who pulled on the puffy black dress that Molly had picked out for her. The little girl had already kicked off a shoe and from the looks of the bunched white tights on her legs had been pulling at her trappings. Her brown curls were miraculously pinned back with a silver bow that from experience Hermione knew to be a work of magic in itself.

She was stalling and she knew it. The silly notion of "maybe if I don't go, it didn't happen" had crossed her mind and she knew Harry could tell.

"Do you think anyone will notice if I don't go?" She asked, fidgeting with the bracelet on her wrist. Harry snorted softly, and shook his head.

"There might be a few people questioning that – though I wouldn't count on Ron noticing." He told her, turning his look to the small girl that had found the laces on his shoe and was pulling it with all of her might. Hermione shook her head, giving out a small laugh, the first one since the Victory party.

Harry reached down and easily picked up the curious toddler smiling at her as she giggled loudly. With his free hand, he grabbed her bare foot and looked at her questioningly.

"I think she's lost something." Harry told her plainly, tickling the bottom of her foot and earning a squeal in return. The sight made Hermione smile and she turned around to look at her.

"Mione! Mione!" Calypso told her, pushing away from Harry and reaching her arms out for Hermione to carry her. Hermione obliged, lifting her and placing her comfortably on her hip.

"I guess we ought to go." Hermione told him, frowning a bit as she saw the bleak gray clouds rolling in.

"Whenever you're ready." He told her, finding her hand and squeezing it gently. They walked hand in hand until they reached the foyer where Ginny and Ron waited for them. She seemed to be the only one to catch Ginny's slight frown when she turned to see them holding hands and Hermione reddened at the fact. She let go of his hand and he turned his head curiously at her for a second before leaning over and kissing Ginny on the cheek. He whispered something of her looking nice and the frown left her face as if it hadn't been there at all, replaced with the sad look in her eyes that was beginning to cause Hermione's teeth to grind.

"It's going to be okay, Hermione." Ginny told her, touching her arm gently. Hermione nodded, shifting Calypso on her hip a bit. Sensing, Hermione's discomfort, Harry flicked his wrist and held up the small lost shoe in his hand and waved it at the small girl, earning a toothy smile in return.

"What kind of Princess leaves without her shoe?" Harry told her playfully. The little girl grew bashful and turned her body to hide her face in her sister's neck.

"Sootmaid!" Ron announced proudly, speaking for the first time. The three adults standing next to him turned to give him their attention, looking at him questioningly. He grinned at first and slowly the look on his face dropped to one of annoyance as they didn't seem to catch on.

"You know, Sootmaid!" He told them once more, emphasizing the name with his fists in the air. When they all stared at him blankly he narrowed his eyes, looking at them as if they'd all gone spare.

"She's the one that had a slipper made of Goblin gold and the prince had to return it to her after the ball." He put his hands on his hips at the blank stares he received in return once more.

"You're telling me you never heard of Sootmaid? You know the one that kills dragons and hunts orcs in order to get her golden slippers!" Ron told them, throwing his hands up as if holding an imaginary sword. Harry gaped at him and shook his head. All three were surprised by the laugh that escaped Hermione, her eyes watering slightly as she did. Calypso looked at her curiously at first and smiled, hugging her sister's side lazily.

"Same book as babbity rabbity, mate?" Harry asked as they made their way outside.

"Honestly, Ron, we grew up in the same house and I've never ever heard of Sootmaid."

* * *

><p>She stood quietly, staring down at the two coffins under an umbrella. The service had gone painfully slow for her. Everyone came up and gave hugs, kisses and well wishes, each with a short mention of what good people her parents were. It hadn't taken more than five minutes for Calypso to grow antsy and she was infinity thankful that Tonks took her to play with Teddy. Molly had insisted that the little girl be there for everyone to pay the same respects but Hermione felt differently. She was too young to understand what was going on and Hermione didn't get a good enough answer when she asked what would be the use in making the little girl fussy by forcing her to sit in a stuffy room for what felt like hours. She found herself barely able to do it.<p>

They kept it a closed casket funeral as the muggles in the room were under the impression that Wesley and Cordelia Granger had perished in an unfortunate car accident. Hermione felt guilty for lying to them; they were good and honest muggles that Hermione had known her entire life. They deserved to know that their friends had died protecting their home bravely and honorably, saving the life of their little girl. Her parent's deserved to be revered for what they really were: Heroes.

It wasn't fair how the wizarding world controlled so much information for the sake of its secrecy and while it bothered her beyond reason, it wasn't enough for her to swear off the magic inside of her. She knew that no matter how unfair the system, her parent's wouldn't want her to give up something she had fought so hard to keep safe. Even if her world of magic was the reason they were dead.

So that's why she stood after all the others had left for the flat. She needed to tell them that she was sorry. Sorry for not being normal, sorry for putting them in danger, sorry for taking away their memories and sorry that she hadn't been there to save them. She needed to tell them that she was sorry that even after all that was taken from her, she would still be apart of that world because she was selfish and she loved it too much.

Her hand shook as she reached out and touched her mother's coffin. There were white flowers laid across the top and the rain hit the surface loudly.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you, mom." She whispered, pausing as if she were waiting for a response. She raised her wet fingertips to her lips and kissed them, putting her fingers back onto the coffin surface. She turned slightly, looking this over at her father's casket now, and laid her hand the same way she had done to her mother's.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, daddy." Her voice hitched and she pressed her lips to her fingers once more, and pressed them to her dad's coffin.

"I love you both so much. I just want you back." Her voice cracked and the resolve that had been built up since she had left the hospital a week ago had broken. She cried. There was no sound other than the rain slapping against her umbrella and she closed her eyes to let the sound surround her. She imagined herself laying there with them, if only for a second. She imagined watching down on everyone with them and never feeling alone again. It reminded her of Godric's Hollow and a part of her grew pained as she realized that the feelings which coursed through her now were the same feelings Harry felt the first time her ever visited his parent's grave.

As she finally opened her eyes, feeling overwhelmingly tired, she had to blink her eyes a few time in order to see correctly. Further down the cemetery was a cloaked figure, standing aside an old crypt, watching her from afar. She narrowed her eyes and squinted as she tried to make out his face. The burning in her eyes from her prolonged crying caused her to blink furiously, and she rubbed her eyes in frustration. When she looked up again the person had seemed to realize that she'd seen him watching and turned to leave. For a second she thought she saw something familiar but shook her head, telling herself that someone must've realized the service was over and was leaving.

She cleared her head of all other thoughts as Harry and Ron stepped out of the town car, signaling that it was time to go. She pulled out a small muggle photo from her coat pocket and stared at it for a while. It was taken a few nights after their reunion inMelbourne. A slightly gray haired Hugh Granger smiled contently as he had arms around Hermione and her mother, the latter carefully holding a sleeping Calypso. She ran her finger over their smiles and put the photo back in her coat pocket.

"Goodbye." Her barely audible whisper passed over them and she turned away, determined not to look back.

_I'm going to find them. I'm going to make them pay for what they did and they are never going to hurt my family again._

* * *

><p>Harry found himself frowning whenever he watched Hermione busy herself with Calypso. She was trying her hardest to revert back to her old self for the sake of her sister and he while he admired her for it, he worried even more. He knew that not too deep past the façade of being put together, she was still horribly damaged and hadn't had enough time to heal. While everyone was breathing a sigh of relief that she hadn't continued her silent treatment, Harry felt as if he were waiting for the other shoe to drop.<p>

In the month since the funeral it had been as if there were seven Hermione's working around the clock. He had even gone so far as to check the ministry logs to see if she'd stolen a time turner.

Once the funeral was over, Hermione had been read her parent's last will and testament at Gringotts. Harry declared that he could only hope that he could be as organized as Hugh and Cordelia Granger when it was his time to leave the earth. Their dental business was rather small since they had only reopened a year ago and it seemed to be taken care of as easily as it was when Hermione had taken care of their memories. He learned quickly that the Granger's had been practical people and left no room for confusion as to what went to Hermione and Calypso. While there hadn't been much doubt there was still a breath of relief when Calypso had been entrusted to Hermione in the will.

However, while she was busy doing just about everything else, Hermione had yet to step foot in her parents' house. After an ambush by Molly and him, they would be going into the house today to gather anything that she wished to keep before putting the house up for sale.

"Ron, did you get the spare boxes from the twin's shop?" Harry asked as he began making room for the things they'd be bringing back to the Burrow. Molly had finally put her foot down and made Arthur remove the muggle devices that were broken beyond even magic repair, leaving space for Hermione to store her things until she found a suitable flat for herself and Calypso.

"Shite" Ron grumbled before leaving the shed with a pop.

"'Awwy, 'Awwy." He grinned to himself as he turned around and saw the goofy grin of the small girl outside the window. She was outside in the field with Teddy chasing after a garden gnome.

"She calls everything 'Awwy' nowadays." He jumped at the sound of the amused voice and gave her a smile.

"You're just jealous because my name is easier to pronounce." He shot back playfully. He took in the woman in front of him carefully. It was obvious that she had lost weight since her parents' death, the stress of everything had made her skin seem pale and the bags under her eyes were visible signs of her lack of sleep. It was like the spirit of her had left and now she just existed. The simple fact that she had sounded amused with him had warmed him to think that she really was coming around.

They stood there in an odd sort of silence, one that he wasn't used to feeling from Hermione and it bothered him greatly.

"I just wanted to thank you for organizing the troops. I've been so busy figuring out Calypso that it sort of slipped my-" Harry stepped towards her and sighed causing her to stop what she was saying and look at him curiously.

"We both know it didn't slip your mind. I know you don't want to go back there."

His voice was calm and careful and he hoped that he hadn't been too blunt with her. She stared at him, her eyes not narrowed enough to be a glare or wide enough to be surprised. After a few moments, she finally sighed and nodded in agreement. They stood there for a little longer before she surprised him by taking three long and determined strides towards him. He coughed out a laugh as she gave him one of her signature bone crushing hugs and wrapped his arms around her in return.

"I just can't imagine going there if they aren't around anymore." She rasped, her voice muffled due to her face being mashed into his chest. He held her tighter, pressing his face against her bushy hair. While Harry felt he was a lot of things, being a master of words was not one of them; instead of saying anything further he simply held her close for a while longer. It wasn't until he let go that he realized that it wasn't just to comfort her demons but his old ones as well. She smiled up at him and her fingers slipped through the front of his hair for a moment before sighing.

"I'm glad you didn't cut it yet." Her voice was lighter and her entire appearance seemed more at ease than she had been earlier. Harry rolled his eyes and used both hands to smooth down the unruly locks. Hermione surveyed the space that they'd made for her things with a look that said she was obviously impressed.

"How'd you get Mr. Weasley to get rid of so much?" Hermione asked, looking at the partially empty shed. Harry grinned and she raised an eyebrow in interest.

"I promised him I'd explain the functions of an iPod and a laptop."

Hermione chuckled, shaking her head with a grin on her face. The two walked out of the shed, watching the two toddlers place wildflowers on Tonks' head. They enjoyed the sight in a comfortable silence until they heard a tumble of boxes before a long string of angry curse words that signaled Ron had returned.

* * *

><p>None of them said anything as they stood at the front door. The usually kept yard was overgrown and weeds overtook the small patches of flowers that lined the walkway. Hermione's fingers ran over the lettering on the door that said "Granger" and closed her eyes before slipping the key into lock.<p>

The stray rays of light that escaped from the pulled shades showed slivers of dust particles in the air. With a flick of her wrist, the shades were drawn and Hermione saw that the house looked as vacant as she felt. She could vaguely hear Harry and Ron giving out orders to the Luna, Ginny and the twins. They had already decided that the girls would pack up Calypso's room and the kitchen while the twins battled the garage and the living area. Harry and Ron thought they would be most useful alongside Hermione in her room and her parent's room.

"Hermione, you want to start?" Ron asked carefully, placing a hand on her shoulder. She nodded and the two boys followed her quietly upstairs and into her room. It looked horribly like their best friend. Books were lined all along the wall and pictures of everyone she cared for found their way in nooks and crannies.

They worked quietly, the two boys exchanging looks as Hermione carefully packed away the things she wanted to keep and the things that would either be sold or given to goodwill. It was a silent promise that they wouldn't treat her like glass but it was hard not to when they saw how lost she looked just going through the motions. Occasionally, someone would pop their head in the room and ask a question or two both essentially they all worked pretty independently with the intent on getting out as soon as possible.

"Is this a grammar school photo?"

Hermione's head jerked up to see Ron with a look of amusement on his face as he leafed through the scrapbook. She shot up to grab it from him when Harry blocked the way quickly, intent on seeing it as well. Sure enough, in a pose that screamed perfect posture was a smiling Hermione with ringlets that seemed reminiscent of Shirley Temple. She glared at both of them and for the first time since they'd arrived in the house, she was smiling.

"Give it here!" She yelled, trying to no avail to push Harry to the side. He only laughed at her, egging Ron on to flip the page to see more photos of her. Ron's grin disappeared as he yelled aloud, for had Hermione flicked her wrist and magically slammed the book close on his finger.

"Spoil sport." Ron grumbled, nursing his finger as if he'd broken it. Hermione grinned and pushed him lightly in return, grabbing the book out of his hands.

"So much evil in such a small person." Harry commented, patting her head. She glared at him lightly and the three laughed together before continuing their work. It felt nice as the silence had been ended and now they all spoke freely as if it were old times once again. It was in no time that the room was bare and practically sparkling after being magicked clean.

Instead of going directly into her parent's room, the three journeyed out to the other groups and helped them finish the packing. When it seemed that every room was emptied out and cleaned to Hermione's satisfaction, the others went outside to work on the yard and garden so that when the goblin came to appraise the house there would be nothing to worry about.

"You ready?" Harry asked as they stood in front of her parent's bedroom. Hermione nodded carefully before opening the door and stepping into the room. The boys waited patiently as she surveyed the area slowly and waited for her to make the first move.

"Ron-" Her voice sounded suddenly dry, almost raspy as she spoke and Ron immediately perked up.

"Yeah?" He asked, trying not to sound eager.

"I think you might want to go downstairs, Luna is trying to trim the hedges into animals." Hermione told him quietly, pointing out the window and to the backyard where the airy blonde was currently shaping the tall hedge into something that looked like it had wings. Ron smiled at the girl lovingly through the window and shook his head.

"I'll be right back." He told them, sharing a look between himself and Harry before he left. Hermione sighed, sitting atop the bed as she did.

"You don't need to worry. I'm not going to shatter." Harry shrugged his shoulders and joined her on the bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as she did.

"It still smells like my mum." She said quietly. Harry watched as she summoned a glass bottle with a golden looking liquid that he assumed was perfume.

"She always wore amber perfume. I remember when I was little I'd sit on her bed and watch her spray it on her wrists before going out to dinner with dad. I used to imagine that she was like one of the queens in my books and that one day I would grow up to be beautiful and smart just like her." Her fingers ran over the delicate glass bottle as she spoke and he pressed her to him gently.

"You're smart, beautiful and..." He took the small perfume ball and pressed it so that it sprayed onto her wrists.

"Now you're just like her." He told her when she looked at him in surprise. She smiled at him and kissed his cheek before the two began slowly packing the room. He left Hermione to the valuables like her mother's jewelry and father's watches while he took care of the furniture. The room was almost finished when Harry turned to Hermione questioningly.

"What are you whispering? I can barely hear you." He asked, somewhat annoyed as she had been doing it for almost half an hour. Hermione stared at him incredulously and shook her head.

"I haven't said a word; you're probably hearing everyone downstairs." She told him dismissively, returning to her task. Just as she turned, however, Harry heard it again: faint whispering that he couldn't decipher.

"I know you're doing that." Harry ground out, annoyed. Hermione turned with her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"Harry, what are you talking about I-" He waved his hand to silence her, furthering her irritation with him. He heard it once more and Harry began walking around the room, waving his hands at Hermione to be quiet every time that she spoke up to question him. He stopped at the closet door and Harry pressed his ear against it before jumping back and brandishing his wand. Without questioning him, Hermione's wand came to the ready as well, nervous and unsure as to what she needed to be on guard for.

"Harry-" She stopped when he pressed a finger to his lip, signaling her to be silent. He motioned for her to stand at the door so that whatever was in the closet wouldn't be able to escape. He also wanted Hermione to have an immediate exit should anything unexpected happen.

After a few seconds, Harry threw open the door and they both shot out stunning curses at the unknown whispering figure. They heard a thud and Harry moved out of the way as Hermione shot a lumos spell past him and lit up the room. Both looked at one another confusedly as there was nothing in the room but clothes that they had just thrown off hangers and boxes that had fallen from the shelves.

Hermione hurried over to the closet and looked into the room to see the mess. Just as she turned to chastise Harry for being paranoid, Harry pulled her away at the movement under the boxes. Without waiting to see what it was, he shot red stunning spells at it, causing boxes to burst and clothes to fly up into the air. They both jumped back as suddenly a snake shot out of the fray and hissed at both of them. Both stumbled back, almost in shock at the déjà vu that hit them as they thought of their snowy night at Godric's Hollow. Harry was about to strike again when he heard the faint whispering noise once again coming from the snake. Hermione's hand was about to make the slashing movement of a sectumsempra curse when Harry grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"Wait, it's not attacking us. It's just mad that we cursed it." He told her even though his wand was still pointed at the snake. Her stare was wary as he spoke and she slowly backed away with him, allowing the snake to slither into the center of the room where the bed had been not an hour ago.

The snake hissed at the sound of footsteps downstairs running up to see why curses were fired and raised its head threateningly.

"Harry, you need to speak to it. He was the whispering noise you were hearing." Hermione ordered him, glaring at both him and the snake as Harry stepped between them. Ron made it to the room first, his wand outstretched as he stared at the scene in front of him. His best friends had their wands pointed at a snake that was about two feet long in length.

Harry focused on the snake and speaking to it for a moment before he began hissing at it in return. Ron cringed, hating the sound.

"_Why are you here?_" He hissed, watching as the snake turned away from hissing at Ron and looked at him almost curiously before relaxing its stance.

"_Masssster ssssent me here to wait for you._" The snake hissed back.

"_Who is your master? Why does he want you to wait for us? Did he kill the people in this house?_" Even in hissing form, Harry's voice sounded angry and demanding while the snake seemed to stare on at him unfazed.

_"My masssster kills no one. He ssssent me to wait for the one that killed my mother'sss tormentor."_Harry looked at it strangely and Hermione squeezed his arm to get his attention.

"What did it say? Why is it here?" Hermione asked angrily, glaring at the snake. Not taking his eyes away from the serpent, he answered her.

"It said that he was sent to wait for me. He called me 'the one who killed my mother's tormentor'." Hermione breath caught in her throat as she thought of the massive snake that Neville had killed and without meaning to, she whispered out the name Nagini. The green serpent hissed at the name and the occupants of the room raised their wands in defense once more.

"_My mother_..." The snake hissed in what Harry could only call a mix of anger and sadness.

"_Who is your master? Do you know who killed the people of this house?_" Harry asked.

_"Masssks. Tormentorss. Massssster has commanded me not to tell you his name. I am to tell you his messsssage and leave with you until he sssends another."_The snake told him.

"He said Death eaters were here. His master sent him for us to give us a message and leave with us." Harry told them all. Hermione pushed past him and with her wand out she made her way towards the snake with a fire in her eyes that Harry only remembered seeing during the battle of Hogwarts.

"Tell me." She yelled angrily, not caring that the serpent could lash at her at any moment. The snake regarded her carefully and instead of rising up and answering her threat as she thought it would, it slunk back.

"_Massster says to protect the dead ones young-lingssss_."

Harry paled as he heard the snakes message and Hermione waited expectantly to hear it along with the others in the room.

"_The masked will come for them_."

* * *

><p>AN: Thank you for your time. Please review.


	3. Chapter Three: Return

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

><p>"TONKS!"<p>

Her voice sounded desperate and foreign as she scrambled frantically throughout the Burrow. A flick of her wand and her rucksack landed at her feet. Without so much of a glance, she picked it up, slinging it over her shoulders and continued to run through the house, searching for the brown eyed two year old. She knew that it would be only a matter of moments before someone popped in from her parent's home with an attempt to comfort her into some sort of calmed state of mind.

The thought made her want to attack something. She would not be calmed. She would only protect her family.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" The sound of someone else's voice scared her out of her thoughts and she had to force herself not to throw up her wand. Molly stood before her, a look of worry etched on her face that was reminiscent of the days during the war.

"Molly, where is she? Where is Calypso?" She practically cried out, reaching out and grabbing the older woman's arms.

"What's going on? She's fine. Tonks is out in the garden with-"

She let go and her frantic run through the house became a determined sprint to the garden and ignored the woman running after her. The sight of frizzy pink hair was a welcomed one as she ran through the lines of flowers in the garden. Tonks had Teddy in her arms and was looking towards the house as she had began to hear Molly's calls to Hermione.

"Hermione-"

"Where is she?"

Her questioned didn't require an answer as a second later, Calypso's head popped out from the behind Tonk's legs at the sound of her big sister's voice. The wave of relief was almost enough to cause her knees to buckle under her and she was unaware that tears were beginning to spill down her face. The little girl stared wide eyed as if she were aware that something was very wrong in that moment.

"Hermione, what's going on?" Tonks demanded, her worried glance passing between the witch in front of her and Molly who was coming out from the house.

"Calypso, come here." Hermione said, ignoring the woman once more and reaching down to grab her sister. The toddler clung to her, moving her head back only to give a sad wave to a very confused Teddy Lupin.

"I have to protect her, Tonks. I have to." Hermione told the woman, receiving a look of pity that made her unreasonably angry. Hermione placed her hand behind Calypso's head and held her close, whispering something that the older witch couldn't hear. A yell from the house distracted Tonks and she saw that Ron and Luna were running towards them in the same sort of sprint that Hermione had done earlier. She closed her eyes as a pop was heard next to her, signaling that Hermione and Calypso were gone.

* * *

><p>There was a part of him that wanted to smile at the fact that he could always count on Hagrid to provide him with the right cage for a wild animal. Of course, he always received a speech about how every wild thing just wanted love and that the cages were simply to help calm them down at first meeting one another. Harry regarded the serpent with a cold stare, listening to it's quiet unintelligible hisses. They weren't menacing, not like the hisses he remembered Salazar's basilisk having or even the serpent that Draco had sent towards him during second year. The hisses he heard were almost like a person mumbling the things they were contemplating aloud. It made him think about the boa constrictor that he'd released from the zoo all those years ago.<p>

"That is not a normal snake." Hagrid said plainly.

The half-giant hadn't said much when Harry showed up at his hut with a rustling bag levitated in front of him, and hadn't said anything when Harry asked him if he had a cage that could contain magical animals that could transfigure their size at will. So it surprised Harry that not only did Hagrid make such an announcement but that he did so without really looking over the snake.

"That's one of _his _snakes." The usually cheerful tone in his voice was gone completely and Harry looked at him thoughtfully. He wondered if the snake understood what Hagrid said for it bobbed it's head almost threateningly at the statement.

"You recognize him?" Harry asked carefully, not hiding the impressed note in his voice.

"I reckon I do. Tha' snake Neville killed…tha's his mother, ain't it?"

It wasn't so much of a question as it was an answer and Harry nodded his head slowly, unsure and unwilling to say much more on the subject of Nagini.

Hagrid bent at the waist slowly, his war tested features looking tired and darker than they had when Harry had first arrived. He watched as Hagrid stared at the snake for a long moment before righting himself and shaking his head.

"It's different, this one." Hagrid muttered. "You need ta' keep it here Harry?"

Harry nodded his head absently for a moment, wondering what he meant about it being different.

Everyone else was out looking for Hermione and Calypso and the thought of sitting around, waiting with a snake annoyed him greatly. He had arrived at the Burrow in the aftermath of Hermione's disappearance as he'd stayed behind after she ran out of the room. He knew the moment he had said out loud what the snake had told him that Hermione would run to Calypso at any cost. He hadn't, however, expected her to quite literally vanish in thin air once she got to her little sister. The moment the words "the masked will come for them" finished coming out of his mouth, a loud and startling pop scared them all as not many could apparate in and out of the wards that the Auror's had placed over the "crime scene" that was the Granger's home. He expected that they would find her at the Burrow, frantic and unwilling to leave Calypso's side and he cursed himself for assuming as much. While he had yelled Ron and Ginny to go after her, Harry was unwilling to leave behind the only link to the mysterious "master" that left the snake as a message for them.

He silently cursed Hermione for being the voice in his head that told him not to leave the snake behind. Two years ago he would've charged after her. Then again, he thought bitterly, two years ago he thought that the war had ended.

"I need you to look after it for a while but not here. I don't know how to transport it…" Harry trailed off, knowing if anyone could illegally transport a rare and dangerous creature that it would be Hagrid. His old friend gave him a sort of knowing smile and Harry watched as the wizard pulled a wand out from the side of his belt. Hagrid had been granted the allowance of a wand after the war ended as Harry was able to clear his name of having any association with Myrtle "Moaning Myrtle" Morgan's death. He knew that Hagrid attended private lessons from the Hogwarts staff ever since.

"Hagrid, no one can know about this snake." He told his old friend calmly. While as a teenager, Harry found it rather amusing at how he could extract information from Hagrid, he understood now how dangerous it was to have a loose tongue.

"Hermione and Calypso's lives depend on it."

A rather large and rather worn duffel arrived at Hagrid's feet and he nodded as he bent down to retrieve it. The unspoken meaning behind Harry's statement was loud and clear. There would be no tolerance for putting anyone in danger because he was easily coaxed into giving information. Harry passed him a small slip of paper with the address of the safe house that everyone would be heading to. Hagrid read it carefully and watched as it disintegrated in his hand.

"You'll be alright?" Hagrid asked, placing his large hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Once this is all over, Hagrid, I will be." He told him honestly, sighing as he took his glasses off for a moment and rubbed his eyes. In the two years since the war was over, Harry had enjoyed his honest grunt work as an Auror. He and Ron worked their way up in rank honestly, choosing against public demand to be given higher standing in the ministry. While so many people doled out vows of everlasting loyalty and praised him upon sight, his co-workers and his bosses paid him with responsibility befitting someone of his experience and knowledge. He had superiors that he answered to, people he took orders by, people with whom he shared mutual respect. Somewhere in the pit of his stomach he felt a knot growing as he realized that soon again, others would rely on him for leadership that surpassed his years.

There was no way he could provide anyone with that without Hermione standing there and ordering him around.

"Get there as soon as you can. We'll all talk once we find Hermione. Hopefully there's a part of her that wants to be found, otherwise…" He trailed off, not able to complete the thought out loud. He shook his head, as if dispelling the very idea from his mind. Hagrid gave him a hopeful smile and began untying the cinch at the top of the duffel-like bag.

"Brightest witch of her age, Hermione." He said kindly.

"Yeah." Harry replied, hoping for the first time that she didn't live up to that title.

"Don't let Molly see that snake-" Harry took a glance at the snake and saw that it had been watching him the entire time.

"She'll probably kill it if she does."

Before Harry could hear Hagrid's tut of disapproval at the thought of killing the creature, he was gone.

* * *

><p>It was starting to get late by the time Harry and Ron stopped to rest; they'd been scouring around familiar areas for hours. He knew that all of the Weasley men – save for Arthur- and Remus were out looking for the two missing Granger girls. They'd been accompanied by Luna and Ginny all afternoon before they went to the safe house.<p>

The moment Ron suggested that Luna go back to the safe house, she needed only to look at him to know that it was more for his benefit than anything else. It wasn't that she wasn't welcomed or trusted - she knew this to be fact – but there were some things that the three only leaned on each other for and that would not change in the near future. She'd been there when they escaped Malfoy Manor, she had been there to see the strength that pushed them through the hellish year they'd been through and she respected it. He envied the fact that Luna and Ron were so easily in sync with one another.

Ginny struggled to understand and while Harry was usually more patient than her brother on that point, he was growing increasingly annoyed. It was the constant core of their most heated arguments and while they worked through their number of other problems with relative ease, it was always there haunting them. Every time he spoke to Ron rather than her or every time he refused to talk about the terrors that still ate at him in his dreams, times of comfort that could only be attained by Hermione, it was there. So when Ron suggested that perhaps they would be better able to find Hermione if it was just the two of them, Ginny protested strongly. She was more than capable, ready to help in any way possible, ready to help with protecting them. He found he had no patience to fight her on it. How was he to tell his girlfriend that her presence threw him off his game and not in the romantic sense? How was he to tell her that she wasn't the person he needed fighting alongside him, that she wasn't the voice in his head?

He had been thankful that Ron had a much more terrible way with words and didn't care whether or not his little sister was upset with him. He was in no mood to have THAT conversation any time soon especially not now.

He cringed that perhaps the future arguing would be for nothing as they were no closer to finding Hermione than they had since they started that afternoon. Harry kicked at the dirt in the abandoned playground. It was a familiar setting and he wondered fleetingly if the fact that it was so close to Privet Drive was what was setting his mood even more off. He hadn't been this close to the house he'd grown up in since he and Hagrid flew off on Sirius' motorcycle those years ago.

"We need Hermione just so we can find Hermione." Ron grumbled, running a hand through his hair. "Do you think it's time we call the ministry?"

It was something they'd all agreed not to do, at least not yet. While the ministry was reforming, growing to be a proper government once again, within it were still rats that needed to be watched over carefully. If someone were trying to resurrect Voldemort's ways, there was no doubt that they had some sort of tie-in to at least one or two ministry officials that slipped through legal grasps at the end of the war.

"Even if we did, we'd have no leg to stand on until at least a few days – even then all we can do is file a missing persons report. If we make a fuss now – if any one is working for them, they'll know that Hermione is on her own with Calypso and they'll be in danger." Ron cursed colorfully at the logic but didn't argue.

"What are we supposed to do, Harry?" Ron grumbled. "We've been everywhere that Hermione might run to, checked hotels…I mean, what are we supposed to do? Stay here…"

Harry closed his eyes, trying to block out Ron's rambling –even with his temper and rashness in check these days, he was still Ron and that meant that sooner or later he would begin to lash out. A memory came to mind and suddenly Harry's eyes shot open.

"What did you say?" Harry asked, suddenly wishing he'd paid more attention.

"I said it's getting late and it's not like Hermione would just camp out with Calypso in the woods. I don't want to stay here-"

"We're idiots." Harry announced suddenly, feeling ridiculous for not thinking of it earlier. "That's exactly what she's doing."

Ron looked at him, confused and impatient.

"Your mum said that all she took with her was a bag. Hermione wouldn't leave off like that with just any bag, especially not with Calypso." Harry told him, going over every safe location that she'd sent them to during their hunt for horcruxes.

"She's has the tent." Ron said, catching on rather quickly.

"She definitely does and if I know Hermione, she's been preparing for something like this since her parents died." She'd done it once, Harry surmised as he thought about after the night of Bill and Fleur's wedding party. She'd surprised them both long ago with the type of preparedness that bordered on paranoia; it was her habit of always being months ahead of everyone that saved their asses more than a few times. The thought of her preparing for this alone, not letting anyone else know about it made his chest tighten and he forced himself not to dwell on it.

"If she has the tent, she's set up her wards around it. If Voldemort himself couldn't breach them at his peak, I'm sure we won't be able to Harry. I'm a fine Auror but she's just about the scariest witch I've ever met." Ron told him, sounding both proud and annoyed at the same time.

"I think I know where she'd go…" Harry told him, he stopped as Ron suddenly began searching his pockets before pulling out a familiar silver tube.

He watched as Ron began pulling light from the lamp posts with the deluminator.

"Just in case." Ron told him, earning a nod in return.

Without another word, Harry grabbed Ron's arm and disappeared without so much as a pop.

* * *

><p>The Forest of Dean looked beautiful even as it was no longer decorated in untouched layers of snow and ice. Harry noted that it seemed nosier, attributing that fact that the summertime welcomed the creatures that hibernated during the winter to roam free. They blinked madly for a few moments and muttered a charm to help them see better in the dark without the use of a lumos. While it wasn't anywhere near ideal, it was enough to get them around without stumbling or Merlin forbid, meet up with a hungry animal without knowing it.<p>

"Do you know the counter charm to the wards?" Ron asked quietly, his wand gripped tightly in his hand.

"Do you?" Harry challenged quietly, not hiding the fact that he was equally intimidated by being in a dark forest alone.

"Shite." Ron muttered, earning a nod of agreement from Harry.

We should listen more, he determined mentally.

After a few moments of aimless wandering, Ron very quietly pulled the deluminator from his pocket, thinking of finding Hermione and Calypso as he released the ball of light into the air. The ball whizzed around him for a moment before leading them through the woods slowly. They followed for what felt like an hour or so when they came to a clearing of sorts.

The ball stopped ahead of them and by the time the arrived next to it, Harry could feel the hum of familiar magic in the air. The ball of light fizzled and Ron was careful to slip it back into the Deluminator before it completely died out. Harry stretched out his hand in front of him and was able to feel the barrier as he passed through it. He released an sigh of relief as he did so and the tug at his chest that had been bothering him nearly disappeared. She hadn't warded them out, she wasn't kicking them out of the picture. Ron seemed to relax at the realization as well but said nothing about it.

Harry wondered if her wards would have allowed Ginny and Luna in as he and Ron stepped pass the barrier completely.

The clearing presented itself properly now that they'd passed through what felt like a sort of familiar bubble. At the center of the clearing was the tent they'd lived in for a year, looking as muggle and plain as ever as they made their way towards it. Harry was certain that Hermione was aware of their presence and although he didn't want to startle her or the toddler with her, he wasn't ready to let her apparate away.

Ron signaled for him to go in first as they stood outside the flap of the tent. They seemed to have a silent conversation about what to do next when a voice from inside the tent startled them.

"Will the both of you just come inside?"

Ron gave Harry a roll of the eyes before ducking in and Harry after him.

The tent looked quite different than he remembered. Hermione seemed to have done quite the job at making it more homely than it once was. She had added much more comfy looking bed and bunks, even the family style table looked more inviting than it had. There was a sense that it was a completely different camp than what it had been years earlier and he could see Calypso sleeping soundly on the small bed where Hermione sat next to.

He could see that her face was still a bit puffy from crying and the way she fidgeted nervously made her seem younger, almost as if she were afraid she'd answered wrongly to a question in class.

"I know I shouldn't have done all of this. I just…" She trailed off, looking over at the very cozy looking toddler.

"We were safe in this tent, Harry. We were safe and the only time we ever got hurt was when we left." Hermione told him, trying to keep her voice as soft as possible. She reminded Ron of an animal that was unsure whether to flee or fight.

"You can't just…" Ron stopped himself short and Harry knew that the only reason he didn't argue with Hermione was that he had no way to argue her conclusion to stay. Ron shook his head and quite easily climbed atop his old bunk bed. They watched as he bounced a few times on it before tossing his jacket and shoes off and laying back on the bunk.

"You did a good job with this one, even made it longer for me you clever girl." Ron praised, stretching out his toes for good measure. Hermione found herself grinning at him appreciatively through tears that leaked from her eyes and he winked at her before fluffing up his pillow and looking away from her.

As she wiped away the wetness on her face, she turned to see Harry standing in the middle of the tent looking pensive. He pulled out a chain from his neck and ran his thumb over the small silver pendant clockwise for a few moments before slipping it back into his shirt. Neither Ron nor Hermione moved at the feel of their own personal tokens warming for a moment as Hermione knew it was Harry letting all of the order know that they'd found her.

"I'm not going back." She told him, as sternly as she could muster.

It was unnerving that he hadn't spoken a word since he'd stepped into the tent. She found that she wasn't used to the silent man in front of her and bit her tongue only because he wasn't trying to convince her to return to civilization with them. Harry eyed her carefully and the two shared a long look between them before a noise from Ron disturbed them.

"Hermione…"

She turned and smiled at Ron, summoning her bag wandlessly.

"I'm much more prepared this time, Ronald. I can have us set up to eat in no time." She told him in an obviously overly excited tone, choosing to ignore Harry's silence for the time being.

Ron watched Hermione and then Harry, smiling only when Hermione turned to look at him. She began setting about the tent, talking to Ron about what she was making and how he would love it. It was almost as if she were trying to convince herself that it was more like an extended camping trip than fleeing out of fear. As her back was turned to both of them, Ron stared down Harry who seemed lost in his own world for the time being.

Ron knew himself to be a simple man. The love he had for his girlfriend was perhaps only rivaled by the connection between the two currently quiet adults that stood before him. The war killed most of his insecurity demons and he trusted in his strengths rather than dwelling on his weaknesses, something that perhaps only death, war and growing up can do to one so young. It was because of his self awareness that he knew it wouldn't be him to bring Hermione back with them.

It would come down to Harry, as it always had.

Harry, on the other hand, continued to sit in silence. How was he supposed to tell her to come back with them? How was he to ask her to put herself in danger once again? A part of him, a strong part that he was struggling with, that felt oddly at home in the redone tent. There was something about it that made him feel safe and not as suffocated as he originally thought.

Hermione and Ron jabbed playfully at one another and Harry was thankful that Ron knew just how to get her worked up for it kept her from looking like she was about to cry. He kept quiet, declining when Hermione tried to hand him a bowl of what she'd made. She looked clearly put out about it and Harry ignored Ron's semi-glare that was quite blatantly asking "what are you playing at?"

"I'm going to keep watch." Harry announced, not bothering to look up as he turned and walked out of the tent.

He would have been a rich man if he bet on how quickly Hermione would come after him. He'd barely been able to transfigure a cushy chair out of a random pile of leaves when the tent flap was torn open and Hermione stepped out with an annoyed look that she intended to set on her best friend. She looked younger than she was, her hair surprisingly frizzy compared to how tamed she usually had it and the glare she wore was definitely familiar to the man who sat watching her.

"You have nothing to say?" She snapped, sounding more annoyed than angry.

Harry crossed his arms in front him and gave her a feigned look of innocence.

"Harry James Potter." Hermione told him warningly.

He nodded in return, earning a strangled yell back.

"Harry, say something! A bloody snake told you that death eaters are coming back and they're coming back for me and Calypso! It wasn't just some attack, they killed my parents to get to her – BECAUSE OF ME! I ran away from everyone and I'm going to stay out here for as long as it takes. I'm- I'm- I'm going to do this Harry and there is nothing you can say that can stop me. She deserves to be safe." She had said it all as quickly as she could and was glaring that Harry hadn't broke at all.

"We can go all over the country. I'm smart enough." She began again, seeing that he was still unaffected.

"I can send us all the way to Australia! I did it once and I can do it again. Frankly, I should've just let my parents stay there. They were safe there. They were safe and I brought them back here. I orphaned my sister, Harry. I killed them and if I don't get Calypso out of here, I'm going to end up killing her too."

Her yelling began to simmer down and Harry watched her as she seemed to be talking more to herself than to him towards the end.

"Did I kill my parents, Hermione?" Harry asked quietly, standing up. Her head snapped up quickly and her eyes were wide as she shook her head fervently.

"Don't be ridiculous, Harry. You were a baby. You-" She stammered as he walked up to her slowly.

"I existed and they died because of it, you can say it. Say I murdered them. In fact, I murdered Sirius too. Say I murdered Sirius. If I hadn't been there, Cedric Diggory would be alive right now. I murdered him too." He said it so seriously that Hermione gasped.

"They were killed because-"

"Because I existed."

"THAT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!"

"By your logic, it's not."

"I didn't mean that! Horrible, evil and despicable beings killed them. You couldn't control their agendas any more than you can control the weather!" She yelled, balling her fists in and out as if she were about to attack something. He had made his point rather well and she didn't want to accept it. She was shaking as Harry pointed his wand at her.

"If I were to petrify you right now, you would watch as they went into the tent and take her. If they send out snatchers in the woods to wait for you, how far will you get with a scared toddler in your arms?"

She was still shaking but not once thought of reaching for her wand.

"Horrible, evil and despicable beings killed our parents." He told her, lowering his wand and placing it up his sleeve.

"But you, Hermione, you have a piece of them to save. I would do anything to have that, to have any sort of…" He trailed off and he could see that while she was still shaking, it was more from keeping herself from crying for what felt like the millionth time.

"If the roles were reversed, you wouldn't let me do-" He was cut off as she launched herself at herself at him, wrapping her arms around his so tightly that he couldn't speak. After a momentary shock, Harry wrapped his arms around her waist and held her with the same ferocity. It was almost becoming an instant calm when she held him this way and while he knew it should be the last thing from his mind: he would never hold her like this in front of Ginny.

"I panicked and she was so scared that I just ran in and took her…I scared her." She told him, her voice hoarse. "I can't do this without you and Ron."

"You're not. We're right here." He told her gently, earning an even tighter squeeze from her. He found himself burying his face in the curve of her neck, feeling as if he needed the comfort almost as equally as she did. Hermione never left him and he didn't realize how scared he was that they wouldn't find her until that moment.

She let go of him slowly and Harry found himself squeezing her tighter for a moment before releasing her from his grip.

"Can we just stay here-"

"Grow old?" Harry asked, hating the ache he felt in his chest as those words seemed to have a much different meaning so suddenly. Hermione blinked at him for a moment, almost as if she weren't sure how to process what he'd said, before smiling at him and kissing him on the cheek.

"For the night? Calypso is still sleeping and I'm not ready to face everyone just yet." She told him, her face going red as she thought about how everyone would be looking at her for the stunt she pulled. Harry shrugged his shoulders, nodding in agreement.

"I'm not sure if you can pull Ron away from Luna, but I'll stay." He told her, earning a look of gratitude. Hermione made to turn back to the tent when Harry grabbed her wrist to stop her causing her to look at him with eyebrows raised in confusion.

"I meant it before when I said I was going to make sure she stayed with you. Ron and I can't help you if you disappear like this, I mean, I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be able to tie our own shoelaces if you were gone."

"You found me in less than twenty four hours-" She argued.

"You wanted us to find you." Harry told her, releasing her wrist.

"I won't run away again." Hermione promised, watching as he seemed to visibly relax at her words. The two walked back into the tent to see Ron looking guilty as he gorged on Hermione's dinner.

"Have we made up then? Is she coming back with us?" Ron asked, giving Hermione a grin as she filled of their bowls once more. She rolled her eyes at him before tousling his hair lightly, almost lovingly, as her way of answering him.

People never understood the relationship between the three of them as they were all so different. They didn't understand how someone so hardworking and knowledge seeking could at one time think herself in love with the redhead who seemed to love food and quidditch more than life itself. They didn't understand how she could possibly stand to watch Harry act on his instincts when she based nearly all of her choices on logic. How could Ron understand what it was like to live in the muggle world and be magical at the same time? Or for Harry to feel comfortable in house busting at the seams with family when he'd had no real memory of having one of his own?

There were just some things that a near death experience with a troll could do for your friendship.

Harry seemed to be lost in those thoughts for a moment before he realized that Hermione and Ron were having a laugh at how long they could stare at him in silence before he noticed.

"Shove off." He joked, throwing pieces of bread at their heads.

The three ate in comfortable silence and Ron clapped Harry on the shoulder in silent praise as Hermione checked up on Calypso.

"Cheers." Ron told him, grinning as Harry smirked in return.

When Hermione returned, she returned with a bag that neither Ron nor Harry remembered seeing before. She set it down on the table gently and the two wizards shared a worried glance as she placed both hands inside it. They watched as she began pulling book after book out of the bag, sometimes shaking her head and mumbling to herself as she placed a few back into the tiny bag. By the time she finally stopped, both men were sure that they were looking at fifteen raggedy tomes that would be the death of them.

"We'll start with these and move on from there. I suggest you take precautions as some of these are rather illegal." She told them in a no nonsense sort of tone. Ron's jaw dropped as he swore one of the books hissed at him before Hermione tapped it with her wand warningly.

"What exactly are we looking for, Hermione?" Harry asked, sharing the same look of displeasure as his redheaded friend.

"Well, we know that Voldemort sympathizers are involved as they're still donning the deatheather's masks. We need to find out of resurrection through broken horcruxes can be attained. We also need to find out what sort of snake Nagini and her…child…is, so that we can figure out more about their masters..."

"Can't we just ask the snake?" Ron asked blandly, looking over the books with mild disgust.

"Yes but we can't assume it will tell us the truth, besides I'm sure it's long gone by now." She told him, moving about the books looking for ink and parchment in the red beaded bag that they were familiar with.

"Actually, it's with Hagrid at the safehouse." Harry told her proudly. Hermione stopped herself for a moment and gave Harry a smile.

"That's brilliant, Harry." Harry nudged Ron playfully.

"But you still need to read these." She finished, not bothering to his face drop or Ron nudging him in turn.

"Hermione, don't you think we should just relax a little. You RAN AWAY today and tomorrow we can-" Ron tried to reason with her, stopping as she tossed two bottles of ink at the both of them.

"No. I've been- I've been going about this all wrong. I tried to take care of Calypso the way my mom and dad would have and I tried running away without thinking things through. I need to do this my way, not the way I think everyone else would do it. I can't get my parents back but I can make sure that Calypso stays safe. The only way we can start is by figuring out who they are by what we know and the only way we can do that is by these books." She had a certain fire in her eyes that neither of her friends had seen since the day her parent's were murdered.

Ron groaned as she handed him a particularly old and large looking book.

"Why can't you be normal for at least one day?" Ron grumbled, ducking to the side just as she sent a jinx his way. She shot a questioning glance at Harry who nodded in return, begrudgingly accepting the book that she handed him. He would take a determined and slightly crazed Hermione over panicky and falling apart Hermione any day.

"She's back." Ron grumbled, waving away the dust that flew into his face as he opened the book.

Hermione looked over her shoulder to where the sleeping girl lay and smiled to herself before turning back and narrowing her eyes at Ron.

"Yes and you'd better take proper notes, Ronald Weasley." She admonished.

Harry hid his grin as he opened up his own book.

She was back.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: WHEW! I did it! I think I finally figured out how I want to write Calypso Granger and I hope I've done it properly for those that have been waiting for this update. I have some big ideas for my upcoming chapters, not only here but in my other stories as well. Please enjoy and review! I really want to hear what you all think. =) Thank you!<p> 


End file.
